Leeds United v Everton: Mateusz Klich and Luis Sinisterra to freshen up Whites as Jesse Marsch’s squad depth gets first test

Traditionally, continental football clubs have laughed at how relentlessly the English flog their players although these days the top clubs play most of their midweek matches in money-chasing UEFA competitions thanks to never-ending rounds of European Cup, Europa League and Conference League fixtures.

This will be a tough week for the Whites, beaten by Brighton on Saturday and now facing their old rival Frank Lampard, who brings Everton to Elland Road for a Tuesday-night fixture. On Saturday they are at Brentford.

Hurt badly last season by the skeletal squad Marsch’s predecessor Marcelo Bielsa insisted on, Leeds have worked hard to flesh things out since. Now comes the acid test of how much the American believes in that work when we see how many changes he is comfortable making. He has only handed Premier League starts to 12 players in the opening four games, but nine others kicked off against Barnsley in last week’s League Cup.

Marsch says Leeds “remain optimistic and active” when it comes to further additions before Thursday’s 11pm deadline, but the work is largely if not entirely done.

“In Germany when you play in midweek they call it an Englischerwoche, an English week, because you sit in Germany and watch how many games the Championship and the Premier (League) and everything else plays, and no winter break,” explains the former Leipzig coach. “I knew this was going to be a big challenge, how to perform game-in, game-out, week-in, week-out with so many matches. It’s one of the reasons we’ve tried to build a bigger squad.”

Midfielder Mateusz Klich – a substitute in every league game so far and a two-goal scorer against Barnsley – and winger Luis Sinisterra, who missed the opening game through injury but also scored against the Reds, are pushing to freshen up the side.

“We think both are in good form,” says Marsch. “Both played very well against Barnsley.

“Luis is getting more and more fit so I think both will be candidates for the starting XI and then we’ll just try to evaluate physically where guys are. It’s a good thing we didn’t push too many guys in midweek.

“We’ll see how Liam Cooper’s doing (after his season was delayed by an Achilles problem). Patrick Bamford will be really close (after groin trouble).”

It is not just a question of whether the stand-ins are good enough – captain Cooper and vice-captain Bamford are key squad members – but if they can display the same tactical understanding the regulars have in a start to the season far more positive than Everton’s.

“It’ll be a different match, there’ll be different tactics, different players, different matchplans,” cautioned Marsch. “But certainly, we don’t play foolishly (or) we’re playing into the hands of the opponent. It’s more about playing to our strengths and what we want to achieve on the day.

“The challenge is to keep an entire squad clear on the rules.

“The job of a manager is to have a plan to institute football ideas every day, to have principles, to be clear with exactly what the playing model is for every single player and for each player to understand their role, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how it fits within what we’re trying to build. And then to build a leadership model where everybody feels engaged and valued, and where they want to give 100 per cent to the group effort.”

Last six games: Leeds United DWWDWL; Everton LLLDWD.

Referee: D England (Doncaster).

Last time: Leeds United 2 Everton 2, August 21, 2021, Premier League.